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Boston College @ Virginia Tech basketball preview:

By: bourbonstreet | January 10, 2014

#167 R.P.I.Boston College @ #146R.P.I.Virginia Tech:

4 W, 11 L, 2-man (Anderson and Hanlan) Boston College visits Virginia Tech at high-noon on Saturday afternoon in what may very well be our last best chance to win another A.c.c. league tilt this season. There, I said it.

This vs. a Flying Eagle hoop club that has precisely 1 win (vs. Philadelphia, no, not the 6’ers either) since Thanksgiving, and was even beaten by Ivy League Harvard by 15.

Yah; this is not a very good Eagle basketball squad; though most would have me say that neither is Virginia Tech.

This one is a contest between not-good vs. not-good; or maybe even bad on bad; at least in Power Conference terms as both teams are currently forecast to be Spring Broke come March Madness. And yet at the end of the day, or by about 3 o’clock, someone is simply gonna have to win this one; one way or the other.

Bee.Cee Backcourt: (returning starters=3 of 3)

Darryl Hicks: Pt.G, out for year, (knee) Godspeed @ #10.

Lonnie Jackson: football player of the year (Los Angeles, California) who choose roundball over the oblong spheroid. 4.4 ppg, chips in with a couple of boards and a couple of assists; the book says he is a quality backcourt defender, who can shoot a bit from the off-Guard slot. Has some distribution skillz and can slide over to the One in a pinch. Worst FT shooter if this one is close and we need to foul late; at a mere 55%.

Oliver’s Twist…

Olivier Hanlan: hands down, #21 is the best Canadian or Bob and Doug savvy baller in the whole darn A.c.c., eh! All-around Wing player who has a slipper feel to his game that allows him to manufacture looks from cracks and shots from seams. Leads Bee Cee in scoring at just 1/10th shy of 20 points even; 4.2 rpg and the team lead in assists (3) and in steals (.9) does not suck either. Does get to the charity-stripe (127 FTA’s leads B.C.), and he does have honorable range on his outside shot at 37% from beyond the arc. Plays above his 6’4’’ Wing stature, looks the same as I truly thought him taller than that? And if he is already dropping 20 in his second A.c.c. season; where is he come 2016?

Joe Rahon: California Pt.Guard is a solid distributor and decent enough score on the ball. Rahon is pacing the Eagles at third in ppg (9.2) and in rebounding (3.9) identically. Rahon does stay away from the basket as penetration is not his game; though he is a stand-up Point bye-the-by.

Eagles Frontcourt: (starters back=1 of 2)|

Ryan Anderson, imported Cali’ star baller, gonna at least flirty with all-A.c.c. honors if he is not very careful. Mister Anderson was voted mutually the California Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year for his state in 2010. (unknown if he enjoys The Matrix trilogy or not) Very productive Four, strong interior presences at both ends, the best Big on the court come Saturday. 16 ppg and a team leading 6.9 boards is pretty damn solid third-year work, if you can get it. Does appear to up his game just in time for Conference play; second-team all-A.c.c. by most pre-season mag’s as well.

Eddie Odio, lean bean-pole Three who looks like a Four who needs to mix in a steak and a protein shake –or five- and go ahead and fill out. 4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg and a team leading .9 blocks per contest is ok, barely. Has lacked development/betterment as this now starter looks the same as when he was a regular bench sub’ two years ago. Accordingly, is well experienced, and not much else; beyond possessing just a bit of extended range on his J.

Boston College Bench: (depth=2’ish)

Dennis Clifford: 7’1’’ 247 legit true-C big, rebounding shot blocker whose offense is basically code for point-blank or put-back range. I thought Clifford to be a bit more upward mobile as a big goes than he is, so I for one missed the mark here. Has a history of knee hurts and playing well vs. VT. Just got back last game from another knee injury in fact for his season-debut; this from a gamer of a kid who takes double knee injections just to play. Never mind walk. Did average 9 & 5 last year; on 52% Jury remains out on what his rickety knees have left? God Bless.

Garland Owens: intriguing raw athletic Swing, who can get at the hoop and will dunk on you. Needs work on his shot and his overall game beyond simply being a leapfrog specialists. Good football player, high school state champion, and all-time rebounder (@Magruder, MD). 4 ppg, 2 boards and he has shot well at 40% from range.

Tell the truth: the best individual talent on the court in this one ... is???

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:
Bee Cee simply must be o-5 out on the road for a reason. And the Atlantic Coast age of reason says that the A.c.c. visitor only wins three in seven times in the last 20 odd years. Though are more than just trends, those are objective streaks that are hard to buck.

Unless you are Virginia Tech and coach J’s and you muck around and get upset at home by USC-Upstate in a game that was unlined (typically code for 40 points or more as a dog goes) in Vegas, and just recently by 3 points to 14 point dog UNC-G. p.s. how much UNC-G spotting homesteading VT 16.5 would have paid? (though I digress)

***

And yet you see that’s just it. On the surface, in the middle and on the bottom … as these are two cellar dwelling major conference men’s hoops programs right about now. And yet this is just a downright user-friendly Bee Cee defensive hoops team: 303rd in FG percentage allowed and 295th in ppg allowed says so. Is any of that gonna stiffen or tighten up any at all out on the A.c.c. road?

“It’s gotta be the shoes…”

As crazy as this may indeed read; none other than Virginia Tech enters this game in first place inside the A.c.c. standings; and Virginia Tech is gonna exit as the same. Why you ask? Because Boston College is even worse at Turnover Margin than coach J’s boy’s are (321st worst) courtesy of being virtually dead last (341st) in steals in the 345 team D-1. That is one of three things that Virginia Tech and coach J’s are no better than weaklings at and that is enough to beat the weak-sauce Flying Eagles at home, even if the top-2